Seed harvester



June 9, 1931. D. BORLAND 1,809,544

SEED HARVESTER Filed March 14, 192' 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 9, 1931. D.BORLAND 1,809,524

SEED HARVES TER Filed March l4. 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 D. BOPLA N D SEEDHARVES'I'ER June 9, 1931.

Filed March 14, 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 fle/ass (94/7504 firraows/ D.BORLAND SEED HARVESTER June 9, 1931.

Filed March 14, 192' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 9, 1931 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE DELOSS BORLAND, OF CHARLESTON, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGN0L THREE-FOURTHS TO MORRIS ISENBERG, OF CHARLESTON, MISSISSIPPI SEEDHARVESTER Application filed March 14, 1927. Serial No. 175,146.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for harvesting theseeds of grasses and other plants while they are being cut for hay. Ithas especial reference to a machine designed for attachment to thecutter bar of a mowing machine and is especially designed with referenceto the elimination of the hand labor ordinarily necessary in connectionwith such devices.

In cutting seed-bearing grasses such as alfalfa, lespedeza, timothy andmany other plants, it has been found that in many cases a portion of theplants at least if not a large proportion of them have become so ripethat the seeds shake out and are lost during cut ting. Many machines anddevices have been tried in an endeavor to avoid this loss. The largerportion of these attempts have been more or less failures, first becausethey required an extra helper to keep them clear of the hay, second,because so much of the plants piled up on the device that the seed couldnot pass through the mass and were therefore carried beyond the machineand lost; third, because the screening surface used clogged up andbecame useless; and fourth, because the capacity of the seed pan wasordinarily too small to care for, even the small amount of seed whichmight have otherwise been saved.

In an endeavor to correct these mistakes the present machine wasevolved.

Among the objects therefore, of my invention, are,-

(a) To provide a machine which will mechanically handle the grasses asthey are cut and prevent their clogging or piling upon the screeningsurface of the machine.

(7)) To thoroughly agitate the mass of seed during its passage over thescreen surface, whereby not only will the seed be shaken through but allseed capable of dislodgment will be shaken out of the ears andrecovered;

(c) To provide a more efficient screening surface and one less liable tobe clogged;

(d) To provide a construction permitting ample seed storage space; and

(c) To generally improve the details of design and construction of suchmachines.

The means by which these and other objects are accomplished, and themanner of their accomplishment, will readily be understood from thefollowing description on reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my machine with a small portion of thesides thereof broken away to show parts of the interimthereof.

Figs. 2 and 3 are alternate details each showing a fragmentary part ofone of the screens in perspective.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of the draw bar attachment to the mowingmachine cutter bar.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the machine shown attached to the cutter bar ofa mowing machine, and showing one of the mowing machine wheels.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing the tedder cranks on dead center, andalso showing the seed drawer and screen, each partially re moved.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the construction of the rear end ofthe machine.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the seed drawer.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional detail showing a tedder crank shaftbearing and clutch.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the clutch and clutch lever.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary elevation showing the clutch disengaged.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the tedder forkbars, with a fork in place.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross section of a tedder bar showing one of theforks.

Fig. 14- is a perspective View of one of the tedder bar bearings.

Referring now to the drawings in which the parts are referred to bynumerals, the machine comprises side frames, 19 having rear verticalmembers 20 all preferably of angle. iron connected together at the frontend by an arcuate plate 21 and at the rear by cross members 23. and 21:and suitably braced by brace members 25. The rear end of this: framecarried by wheels 2G, 27 which turn on axles 28, see red to andprojecting laterally from the frame 20. The front end of the machine isattached to the cutter bar 29 by a centrally disposed draw bar 30. whichbar in turn is fastened to the arcuate plate 21 as by rivets. 31 is oneof the Wheels of the mowing machine.

52 is a pan adapted to serve as a receptacle for the seed. This pan isof a width that will just slide between the lip-right vertical memcrs 20of the side frames and When slid in over the rear cross member 22, willdrop down and be securely held from accidental displacement by thevertical flange thereof. Disposed above the pan 32 is a removable screen33. which screen provided with side bars 34 and end bars; 35constituting a frame therefor. are tiller pieces (Fig. 9) which aresecured to the lip-right members 19 as by rivets 3?. nl ich tillerpieces form lateral guides for the insertion of this screen. Secured tothe cross member 2t are longitudinal members 38 which extend from therear of the frame to the front thereof. and are there supported by theareuate ero.-:.-; men'iber 21.

are side members bevelled in cross section which are suitably secured tothe tiller blocks 36 at the rear of the machine and to similar blocks atthe front, which members form with the members 38. grooves to receivethe sides of the screen. The screen may therefore be removed by pullingit rearwardly out of these grooves and siniihtrly may be. replaced by:-:liding it forwardly therein.

Mounted on the uppcr ends of the side frame members 11) and 20, aresuitable bear- 44). il. in wl 'ch bearings front and rear tedder barcrank ahafts l2. 43 are journalled. 44 are tedder bars. each journallcdfront and rear to these crank shafts. The rear crank shaft 43 projectslaterally beyond both of the bearings and at one end has keyed orotherwise suitably secured thereto a sprocket whee -15. On the oppositeend thereof a sprocket who. all is jcurnaled. The outer end of the hubof the sprocket 4G is provided with teeth framing one-half of a clutchmember. Slidably mounted on the shaft 43 outside the sprocket 46 is acollar 48. which is provided with complementary teeth. This collar iscaused to rotate with the shaft 43 by a key or spline 49 and is limitedin its outward movement by a colla 50. 51 is a yoke arm by which thecollar 48 may be shifted into and out of, engagement with the clutchsurface of the sprocket 46. \Vhen shifted into engagement. the sprocket46 rotates the shaft 43, and as before stated when out of engagement. itis free to rotate on the shaft.

Preferably to reduce friction rollers 52 are introduced in all thebearings so that they become roller beari The tedder arms 14 arepreferably each formed of a single piece of thin material U shaped incross section. Disposed between the sides of these Us, at the ends ofthe barsv are bloxks F3, 5%- provided with suitable bushings which formshaft bearings. Disposed across the Us at right angles to the bars, atsuitable intervals are pins 55, on ch pins tedder forks 56 are pivoted.Each of these forks is provided with an upwardly and forwardly extendingportion 57 which engages the inner surface of the tedder and limits therotative movement of the forks in one direction, while permitting freeturning movement in the opposite direction.

58 is sprocket on the forward crank shaft which sprocket is connected bya chain 59 with the sprocket wheel 45, so that it may rotated therebyand prevent the forward shaft from getting out of step with the rearshaft. thits maintaining the tedder bars in pa allelism at all times.

The sprocket wheel 46 is driven from a .--:pro'.'ket (3O scoured to thewheel 26 through a chain 61. (32 are lugs on the wheel 26, whichprovide; traction power therefor. 63 is a defleeting chute disposed atthe rear end of and supported by the side frame 20, at that side of themachine which is further-est away from the mowing machine. Tl-isdeflecting chute, as vill be more clearly seen from F 7., slepesdownwardly from the ou ide of the niachlnc inward, so that any esstriking: thereon are deflected toward the center of the machine andtherefore away from the nn-cut 61 is an inclined shield the frontportion of which. rests on the cutter bar in the rear of the knives andthe rear portion of whi h rests on the forward portion of the screen 33.and which bridges the space between the cutter bar and the screen.

Referring especially to 1 2 and 3, it will be seen that the screen 33corrugated transversely and preferably that the openin; therein. be theyround or slotted, are loczned at the bottom o the corrugatit the purposeof the (terminations being to provide spaces into which the seed maydrop and be below and out of the path of the inzn--;.-;e;z of grasstravelling over the screen. 7

The various parts of the n'iachine may be secured together in any usualor desired main ner, as by riveting or bolting and s; :h attachmentsbeing common, is generally not herein shown.

In operation. the machine having been tached to the rear of the movingmachine cutter bar. the mower is driven forward in the usual manner. Thegrass cut by the blade falls backward on the shield 64- and s urgedbackward the con by additional porticus of grass cut. At the same timethe A 'ks engage the grass and rake it laiclinaz'd and upward along thesurface of the screen. The corrugated surface of the screen pr! vidcs aslightly uneven sur face, which assists in shaking out the seed and theforks moving the grass along the screen surface also loosen up and shakeit, causin the Seed to fall out, at the same time prov ding a loosened mthrough which the seed may readily fad. The seed which drop out or areshaken out, fall on the screen and into the corrugations thereof, andpass through the perforations therein into the seed pan below. Thecorrugations in the screen provide pockets which are protected from thegrasses moving thereovcr and thereby form receptacles into which theseed may fall and in which they may remain until they pass through theperform tions.

By throwing out the clutch, the machine may be driven from point topoint without operation of the tedder bars. -'il lien the seed panbecomes full or it is desirable othe wise to empty it, the rear end maybe raised l") disengage it from the angle iron in which the back end ofthe drawer rests, and may then be v-Jithdrawn and emptied.

It will be understood that the draw are illustrative only, and that I donot wish to be confined to the details herein except as they may behereinafter set out in the *laims.

Having thus disclosed the invention, what I claim is 1. A seed saver forattachment to the cut ter bar of a mowing machine, including opposite,horizontally disposed, side members secured and braced apart, said sidemembers having upwardly turned forward ends and having inwardly disposedflanges forming a support, a removable pan longitudinally siidable alongsaid flanges and supported thereby, vertical posts secured to the rearenus f said side members and extend ng upward therefrom, xles extendingater from said posts, and wheels on said axlcs, parallel supportssecured to said pos tending forwardly and downwardly from to and securedto said upwardly tn: side members, a removable screen slidably disposedon said inclined supports and above said pan, a plurality of tedder barsdispw l above said screen and means for actuatmg said bars from saidwheels to move cut grasses backward along said screen.

A seed saver for attachment to the cutter bar of a mowing machine,including o posite, horizontally disposed, side members secured andbraced apart, said lOTElQTS including a transverse member, at the rearend of said side members, having a vertical llfli'ifjfG, and said sidemembers having upwardly turned forward ends and having inwardly disposedflanges forming a support, a removable pan longitudinally'slidable alongand supported by said side flanges, and secured against accidentalremoval by said transverse flange, vertical posts secured to the rearends of said side members and extending upward therefrom, axlesextending laterally from said posts, and wheels on said axles, parallelsupports secured to said posts, extending forwardly and downwardlytherefrom to and secured to said upwardly turned side members, aremovable screen slidably disposed on said inclined supports and abovesaid pan and a plurality of tedder bars disposed above said screen andmeans for actuating said bars from said wheels to move out grassesbackward and upward along said screen.

A seed saver for attachment to the cutter bar of a mowing machine,comprising a frame, including opposite, horizontally disposed, sidemembers secured and braced apart, wheels supporting the rear end of saidframe, a pan supported by said side members, a forwardly and downwardlyinclined screen supported by said frame above said pan, a plurality oftedder bars disposed above said scree means for driving said bars fromsaid wheels to move out grasses backward and upward along said screen,and a deflecting chute disposed below the upper end of said screen,extending inward and downward from a side of said frame, secured to saidframe and supported thereby.

4:. A seed saver for attachment to the cutter bar of a mowing machine,comprising a frame, including horizontally disposer side members havingupwardly turned forward ends and ha"ing inwardly disposed flangesforming a support, posts secured to the rear ends of said side membersand extending up wardly therefrom, a pair of wheels supporting the rearend of said frame, means for securing and bracing said side membersapart including a transverse member at the rear end of said sidemembers, said transverse member having an upwardly turned flangeextending above said side member flanges, a seed pan slid-able over saidtrans verse flange and longitudinally along said side member flanges,said pan being supported when in place by said member flanges andsecured against accidental removal by said transverse member flange,parallel grooved supports extending forwardly and downwardly from therear of said frame to the front thereof, secured to and supported bysaid posts and upwardly turned ends, intermediate the heights thereof, ascreen Slit ably disposed in said grooved supports and above said pan,and means for advancing grasses upwardly and rearwardly along saidscreen, and for agitating said grasses, comprising a pair of bearingssecured to the upper end of said rear posts and a similar pair ofbearings secured to said upwardly turned ends, transverse shafts eachmounted in a pair of said bearings said shafts having alternate crankarms oppositely disposed, a plurality of tedder bars each carried by avpair of said crank bars, forks depending from said tedder bars and meansactuated by said Wheels for driving said shafts.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name.

DELOSS BORLAND.

